Church Works with NWB of the Shoshone Nation to Preserve Sacred Petroglyphs

A sacred rock bearing petroglyphs created by the Fremont people (ancestors of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation) around 1,200 years ago was recently returned to its original location in northern Utah.

The return follows a multiyear effort involving the Northwestern Band (NWB) of the Shoshone Nation, the state of Utah, and historians and conservators working on behalf of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Downloadable B-roll & SOTs

The Artifact’s Remarkable Journey

The artifact, sacred to the Shoshone people, was originally located in the mountains of northern Utah, an area where the NWB of the Shoshone Nation lived and hunted. Brad Parry, vice chair of the NWB, described the site as “a spiritual place” where families — including his own ancestors — would gather and camp.

The petroglyph rock was removed from its original location around 80 years ago. The stories vary, but either a group of men or Boy Scouts procured the rock, weighing around 2,500-pounds, using their own strength and a pickup truck. The rock was then hauled to a meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Tremonton, Utah.

Ryan Saltzgiver, history sites curator for the Church History Department, said the exact reason the stone was brought to the Church is “a mystery.” For decades, it sat outside the building, first near the flagpole and then on the north side. 

Discovery and Repatriation Effort

In 2011, amateur archaeologists used a well-known 1937 rock-art survey to discover the rock at the meetinghouse and tracked down its origin.

“We’ve been working since about that time on getting everything to line up so we could move the stone,” Saltzgiver said. The repatriation process took several years, with Chris Merritt from the Utah State Historic Preservation Office helping to bring together all partners.

The Church worked with the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation to finalize a plan of preservation and repatriation. While the Church had “no legal obligation” to return the artifact, Saltzgiver explained, “we do have a moral and ethical obligation to care for things like this that are in our possession — and in particular to return those things that are, in this case, very sacred objects to those rightful owners.”

For the Tribe, the partnership was uplifting.

“Putting it back for us is putting a puzzle piece back into place,” Parry said. “Our history is so fractured with a lot of things that happened to us. To have these positive things now that are coming out — it’s rebuilding our history. And I can’t overstate that.”

Preservation and Return

The rock’s journey back began after the ancient artifact was carefully freed from the concrete by specialized art handlers and then loaded for transport to Provo, Utah.

In Provo, objects conservators handpicked by Church historians began the delicate work of cleaning and preserving the petroglyphs. The goal was to rid the 2,500-pound rock of years of lichen growth.

Megan Randall, an objects conservator with the Midwest Art Conservation Center, said the lichen was growing along the design areas, probably because the pecking process that created the lighter designs also created more texture for the lichen to grab onto.

The painstaking process involved finding methods that would not damage the surface. The successful cleaning process included soap and water, bamboo and plastic tools, nontoxic biocide and steam.

“Even if it’s not the cleanest, in a couple months or a year, it will continue to sort of clean itself with the application of the biocide,” Randall said. “There’s not that many people out there who do this, which makes our work very interesting and varied. [The stone] has designs that are spiritually connected to the Tribe, and we want to make those visible and appreciable by the people who find value in this, which is also us.”

Once cleaned and preserved, the sacred artifact was transported back to its original location near the Utah–Idaho border. To ensure its safekeeping, the exact location will not be disclosed.

The rock was airlifted into place to once again join its companion petroglyphs.

“This rock was meant to be here,” Parry said. “It’s like this rock knows it’s home.”

A Sacred Moment

The final placement was described as a seminal and sacred moment, evoking powerful emotions. Megan Emery, chief conservator at the Midwest Art Conservation Center, called it an emotional project.

“It’s very much a team effort,” Emery said. “Seeing how well all the team members work together and seeing how successful it’s been — it’s a very satisfying project to be part of, and I am honored and very grateful.”

David Bolingbroke, research and outreach historian for the Church History Department, said the rock was likely placed at the chapel “not out of malice, but out of a lack of proper understanding.” He said it was a “wonderful thing” to bring it back for “generations to come.”

To mark the momentous occasion, Rios Pacheco, a tribal spiritual leader, offered a blessing, which evoked emotion from those gathered. “He prayed that everybody will be blessed [who] helped, said Parry. “Hearing him say that in Shoshone … [was] just wonderful.”

“I felt a strong impression that the eyes of our ancestors were upon us in that moment — both Latter-day Saint and Shoshone,” added Bolingbroke. “They were pleased with our efforts to bring this stone back [and] put it in its rightful place. It’s so important because it has a connection that the Shoshone have with this stone.”